1. Investigating Cultures
Studying History
Investigating Cultures

2. The Study of the Past
We are who we are because of what the people did in the past.
Every step we take in technology, science, education, literature, and all other fields builds on what people did long ago.

3. What is History?
History is the study of the events and peoples of the past.
Historians want to know how people lived long ago and why they did the things they did.
Historians try to learn about the problems people faced and how they found solutions.
Historians study the past to understand people’s culture.

4. We are not as different as you might think!
What is Culture?
Culture is the knowledge, beliefs, customs, and values of a group of people.
This refers to what we eat, what we wear, how we worship, how we govern, etc…
We are not as different as you might think!

5. Fields of Study Historians
They use many methods to study the past, especially written records.
Archaeologist
Archaeology is the study of the past based on what was left behind.

6. Fields of Study Anthropologist
Anthropology is the study of culture and the people of the world
Geographers
Geography is the study of the Earth’s physical/human features

7. Other Fields of Study
Sociology – examines the trends and patterns of human behavior such population rate, literacy rate, marriage, size of families, demographics and other boring things…blah, blah, blah
Geologist – studies rock formations and layers of the Earth.
Paleontologists – studies the remains of living things.
Political scientist – studies government

8. Historians
Historians use many methods and sources of information, especially documents that can be used to prove facts and understand what happened long ago.
Documents include records from governments, courts, schools, churches, businesses and other groups.
Other sources could include letters, journals, and photographs.

9. Primary and Secondary Sources
Historical documents are classified into two types: Primary and Secondary
Primary sources are accounts of events by an eyewitness, somebody who actually saw the event.
Secondary sources are accounts of events by people who did not actually see the event but heard of it perhaps through the eyewitness but not necessarily.

10. Archaeologists
Archaeologists explore where people once lived, worked, and fought.
They look for items that were left behind such as jewelry, dishes, weapons, streets, buildings or even towns…still looking for Atlantis
They examine the objects they find to learn about the past and offer possible clues to how life was long ago.

11. Artifacts and Fossils
The objects archaeologists examine are divided into two categories: Artifacts and fossils.
Artifacts are the remains of objects created by people
Fossils are the remains of the actual living thing…yuck!!

12. Anthropology
This is the main branch of science that deals with the study of human cultures
The work of historians, sociologists, geographers, political scientists, and archaeologists contribute to the understanding of culture.

13. So…why study history? History teaches you about yourself.
History teaches you about others.
History teaches us about the world we live in.
Also, it’s part of the 6th grade curriculum and you really have no choice 